Do exit polls get your pulse racing? Is your head full of searching questions to rival Jeremy Paxman on election night?
Does answering these questions give you a thrill?
If that’s a yes, yes, yes, have you considered a career as a market researcher?
We’re all amateur market researchers really, driven by the quest for information. We love to canvass opinions – asking pals what they thought of a new film or getting the lowdown on a new sandwich filling.
We’re not being nosey, just curious. Businesses are no different.
Pretty much every company, from the oldest names to the hippest start-ups, needs to know how to sell its product or service. It’s not just industry either; all levels of government need to gauge public opinion on everything from who’s in power to how much we spend on our weekly shop.
That’s where market researchers come in. They’re the ones asking the questions and collecting all that crazy, complex data to be converted into easy-to-digest reports, teasing tables and power-point graphs.
Market researchers come in all shapes and forms. They might approach you in the street, call you at home, send a survey through the post, pose questions on social media, or ask you to join a focus group.
Although they can be found in supermarkets asking which brand of sauce you prefer, some may do one-to-one interviews in the home over a series of months, others can be involved with complex projects lasting years.
Market research roles frequently appear on s1jobs and often have the benefit of an immediate start with some on-the-job training to get you started.
As the work can often be temporary, it’s more suited to those who want to pick and choose when and where they work.
You have to be outgoing, approachable and naturally inquisitive to do this kind of work. A degree of resilience, otherwise known as a rhino-thick skin, is advisable to cope with the brush-offs, ‘no thanks’ and unanswered doors. Not surprisingly, people with promotions or sales backgrounds are particularly good at market research.
There are no set entry requirements although customer service experience of any kind is always useful, as are IT skills. Those who come to it with a business, statistical background might go on to become a market research analyst.
Any questions? Then let’s research the best PR and Marketing roles on s1jobs.